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Stop being crusader, police told Christian convert
A British-born man attacked and threatened after his family converted from Islam to Christianity was told by police to "stop being a crusader", a report revealed today.
Nissar Hussein, 43, from Bradford, claims that an officer made the comment after he reported a threat to burn down his house if he did not repent and return to Islam.
The claims are made in a new report by pressure group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) into the abuses suffered by apostates – those who convert from one religion to another.
The No Place to Call Home report, by commentator and apostate Ziya Meral, states that apostates "are subject to gross and wide-ranging human rights abuses", including extra-judicial killings by state-related agents or mobs, honour killings by family members, lack of access to services and day-to-day discrimination.
Mr Meral interviewed 28 apostates in various countries for the report, including Mr Hussein, who grew up in Bradford and converted to Christianity with his wife Qubra in 1996.
The report, which is officially launched today, describes how the Pakistani community in Bradford reacted to the family's conversion by shouting abuse and death threats, vandalising their house and car, attacking Mr Hussein and following his wife.
In October 2001, a young man threatened to burn down their house if Mr Hussein did not repent and return to Islam.
Mr Hussein told Christian Solidarity Worldwide that he reported this to police but was told by an officer that such threats were rarely carried out and to "stop being a crusader and move to another place".
A few days later, the couple and their five children, all aged under 10, were woken in the middle of the night to find that an unoccupied house next door was on fire.
The attacks on the family's house and car continued until July 2006, when they moved to another part of the city.
Mr Hussein said he felt the police had wilfully failed to arrest and charge the attackers, saying it was "not in the public interest".
The report concludes that apostates suffer a host of serious abuses from their families, communities and nations owing to a combination of factors, including traditional Islamic beliefs, increasing radicalism within Islam, the roles of shame and honour and the belief that converting to another religion is a betrayal of Islam.
Speaking about his report, Mr Meral said: "These people live under the serious threat of gross and wide-ranging human rights violations.
"This report is not about Islam, nor is it written to be used as a critical attack on Islam. It is designed to highlight the immense suffering of these individuals and analyses all of the factors contributing to their persecution.
"Throughout this report a tragic picture emerges of the intimate hurts of apostates, which can only renew the conviction that governments must resolutely address this often overlooked human rights concern."
A West Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said the force could not comment on the claims made by Mr Hussein in the report.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -7 C to 0 C
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